BDX gets UX out there

The After Digital team are always out on adventures in our spare time, bigging up our brains with new names, faces and a whole tonne of knowledge. Sometimes we like to test ourselves and fling a team member out of their knowledge zones to learn something a little different.

That’s exactly what we did last week at the latest BDX event. We sent our Digital Marketer Carly Welsh and Account Exec (me!) off to buff up on their UX knowledge.

BDX runs some great, informal talks on various digital subjects with last weeks focusing on UX design and what this means. Held in the cosy confines of the Butterfly and Pig, the audience may be small but the knowledge share was quite rewarding.

We had some great speakers to give us some top tips - Hilary Brownlie, John Loudon from Indez, Alex Reece from Glasgow Future City and Greg Hoyna from the Scottish Government finishing off on a creative high giving us lot’s to think about with our post presentation pints.

Some of our favourite takeaway points included:

Finding the hidden benefits of UX design. So for example, looking at how an easy to use website can help cuts costs by reducing the incoming calls. You need a bum in a seat to take complaints so why not make sure those are at a minimum!

Ensuring that your testing process keeps the user in mind. Don’t just test with experts! We may be savvy but you want your average user (who will often be the not so savvy) to be able to work it too. Testing on a budget? Pop down to your local cafe and ask the average Joe to have a go in exchange for a cuppa!

Understanding that your brand values will help in your UX design process. Not knowing why you are doing something or not giving a clear, cohesive message can be a big pitfall in the overall user experience. Some of your favourite brands are your favourite because you know who they are! Keep that in mind when thinking about your users, they need a bit of the human side if you want them to keep on coming back.

Looking into the ‘Whys’ of a brand was the main focal point of one discussion. This gives more of a marketing focus on UX design but helped to highlight how holistic UX design really is, taking into account the whole when looking at each segment.

When it comes to building a company, something that is often seen is the process of -

Let’s think about What we are going to do.

And ermmm, How are we going to do it?

Oh yes, now let’s think about Why we are actually doing this in the first place.

The worry behind this is that you will lose out on the importance of what you are really doing. This is where why’s such as - ‘to make a big profit’ or ‘because it’s easy’ come from. Yeah sure, these are legitimate reasons for starting a business but really you want to have something that’s going to fully engage your customer give you a reason for you to keep at it too. This business running can be tricky you know and you want those late nights to be worth it for more than just the basic reasons.

Here at After Digital we love the concept of the Why then How then What process because we know that this is what makes the best, most passion driven business’ really thrive. One of the first points of call when we are getting started on a new site is going through an in-depth Discovery phase to really get to know the business and the characteristics of the target end users, ensuring UX design is always at the forefront of our process.

Whether you are a new client or an existing one, we’ll be making sure we know your company in and out (and upside down) to help guide you to the best possible grand finale. If that means helping you pin down the Why’s? Then get ready for a some big soul searching questions. Really that’s one of the things that drives a good brand, a wee bit of soul.